Kerala - Palakkad   

Aggressive market intervention to arrest price rise: Minister

Staff Reporter

Plan to slash prices by 10 to 30 per cent in the open market

Minister for Civil Supplies C. Divakaran

PALAKKAD: Minister for Civil Supplies and Dairy Development C. Divakaran has said that the public distribution system will be strengthened with the Civil Supplies Corporation aggressively intervening to arrest the price of essential commodities.

Talking to The Hindu here on Thursday, the Minister said that the Government planned to bring down the prices 10 to 30 per cent in the open market by its intervention. "The Corporation will purchase products directly from farmers to sell through 2,600 PDS outlets and 86 Super Maveli stores. It also plans to import goods. There is a proposal to import cheaper sugar from Brazil through the State Trading Corporation of India."

"When the Civil Supplies Corporation makes profit it has to pass its share to the consumers. That is given in the form of `Onam gift' or discount coupons. It wants to issue `Green Cards' to all its regular customers so that they get goods at a lesser price."

A mega supermarket complex would be opened in Ernakulam to help consumers get quality products at reasonable price.

He said that the `food security' of the State was affected with the Central Government cutting down ration allotment. Already allotment of rice, wheat, kerosene was cut without informing the State.

The Food Corporation of India had closed down nine of its godowns in the State and the rest it wanted to hand over to the private sector. The Government had already taken up the matter with the Central Government.

The Minister said that the Diary Development Department would be streamlined to increase milk production. Milk co-operative societies would have to be made free from bureaucratic and political control.

"There are schemes to cultivate green fodder in farms under the Agriculture Department with private participation. Steps are being taken to revitalise Milma to make available its products throughout the State."

A major poultry development project for Rs.100 crores would be taken up to meet at least 50 per cent of the State's egg requirement. The Civil Supplies Corporation would buy paddy from farmers in rice-growing areas like Palakkad as varieties like `Palakkadan Matta' were in good demand. "The Central ration quota for BPL cardholders has to be increased and a new survey will be conducted to find out those below poverty line."

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